Abstract [en]

Today 1500 people commit suicide in Sweden every year, which are 28 people every week. It’s the size of a normal school class. Prevention strategies exist and are used, but still many people who die from suicide have been in contact with care facilities. A conclusion can be drawn that prevention strategies must be incomplete.

The aim of this study was to describe medical staff prevention strategies when caring for people at risk of suicide.

The study was executed as a literature review, where all of the material was collected from a number of databases. The material should focus on the nurse’s prevention strategies for people at risk of suicide.

During the analysis of the material five categories appeared. To expand knowledge, identify risk factors, a therapeutic relationship, education for the public and support from relatives. Many of the articles showed that the nurses felt a need of more knowledge. It also showed that more resources should go into educating the public in suicide awareness and that the relationship between nurses and patients have to be good. There were also indications that there was a need of focusing on individual care.